Twin tunnels formal plan 5 months away

The state and federal governments announced Wednesday that a formal draft of the Delta twin tunnels plan will be finished by Oct. 1.

Alex Breitler

The state and federal governments announced Wednesday that a formal draft of the Delta twin tunnels plan will be finished by Oct. 1.

Portions of the plan have already been released, but these are merely previews to the formal plan, which will be subject to public comment and, most likely, litigation.

Officials had previously hoped to have the plan by July. Last month, Gov. Jerry Brown wrote to new U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, asking that the work be expedited.

Water agencies have been pressing the state to move forward, but federal scientists still have concerns whether the project will help fish as advertised.

"This agreement with our federal partners moves us another step closer to being more prepared for an uncertain future in California," Brown said.

In her first comments on what is formally known as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Jewell called the new deadline "aggressive."

"But with California's water system at constant risk of failure, and the continuing impacts to imperiled fish, we can't afford the dangers or costs of inaction," she said.

The governor also plugged the tunnels plan during what was described as a surprise visit Wednesday to a conference of the Association of California Water Agencies in Sacramento. According to the association, Brown promised to do "everything humanly possible to get the job done."